Vatican City
The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the
world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael
Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

Austria
Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital
is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and
incredible history & food. Go Now!

Latvia
Latvia is small, but has a diverse history, foods, and architecture (shown), which
includes aspects from both Eastern and Western Europe. Begin Your
Journey!

History of Armenia

The Armenians, like their neighboring Georgians,
claim to be descended of Noah's (as in Noah's Ark) great, great grandson;
the Armenians claiming to be descendants of Hayk. Since that time the Armenians
have remained in the same general area, but much has changed.

In 301 Armenia declared Christianity the official state religion, making them the
world's first country to do so. The country then encountered take-over after
take-over, from Persia, Byzantium, and the Arabs. Under these foreign rulers, many
Armenians moved to various parts of the Roman Empire, Byzantium, and Persia, creating
Diaspora settlements in neighborhoods located in countries throughout
Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

During the early years, Armenia generally fell under the
rule of both the Persians and the Byzantines. They assimilated many aspects of Byzantium
culture into their lives, but rejected much of the Persian lifestyle due to the
differing religions. In the 800s the Arabs took over the region and in the 1000s
the Seljuk Turks arrived. For the next couple centuries Armenia's
position was regularly altered, but they stayed firmly committed to the ideas, religion,
and culture of the falling Byzantine Empire rather than the local Arab and Turkish
Muslims.

Throughout the 1500-1700s the people remained on the border of the Ottoman and Persian
Empires, making their lands change hands regularly and this resulted in greater
emigration and a continuously growing Diaspora abroad.

In the early 1800s Russia took over Armenia
and the Christian rulers were a welcome change from most past rulers who were Muslim.
This take-over led to bulging Armenian pride, particularly for those still in the
Ottoman Empire. This led to a genocide beginning in 1915, although many Turks argue
this title. To this day, the Turks deny such an event took
place and the Armenians claim it did. Most independent sources claim that there
was either an intentional genocide or the Ottoman Empire forced the Armenians into
exile under poor conditions, which resulted in over 1 million deaths. Continuing
their favorable relations with Russia and anti-Turkish tendencies, during WWI the
Armenians sided with Russia against the Ottoman Turks.

After the war however, Armenia was again given to Turkey
in the peace accord. This led to a united Transcaucus state with
Georgia and Azerbaijan, followed by a declaration
of independence, followed by, in 1922 Armenia's union
with the newly formed Soviet Union. This led to further emigration of more Armenians
and the creation of a new capital, Yerevan.

After independence in 1991, Armenia faced more diplomatic
problems when Azerbaijan claimed the lands of Nagorno-Karabakh
and Nakhchivan. Armenia protested, war broke out and today the battles remain at
a stalemate as Armenia maintains diplomatic relations with neither
Turkey nor Azerbaijan, two of their four neighbors. Armenia's closest
allies are Russia and the
United States. Russian rule was, for the most part favorable for Armenia
and much of Armenia's Diaspora lives in the United States. The country's
economy is still struggling and receives more money from Diaspora remittances than
from internal revenue.